'ticking' sound under acceleration...

I'm famialiarizing myself with my newly purchased '03 Outback Limited sedan, (w/ 4 cyl. & auto trans.) The car has 30k on the clock.

 

I'm pleasantly surprised at how quiet the car's interior is under normal driving.

 

However, I do notice there's a soft/quiet ticking sound under acceleration. The car only does this when it's in gear--not in neutral.

 

Can anyone tell me what this is?

 

 

-CJ

Does it go away when the car is warmed up?

Does it go away when the car is warmed up?

 

No. It doesn't go away when the temp gauge indicates normal operating temperature.

 

I driven it short hops--haven't taken it on a long/highway drive yet. When I first heard it, I thought it might be the sound of hydraulic lifters. But again this doesn't go away, and only surfaces when the car is in gear.

 

Also, I don't hear the sound on trailing throttle. Getting back on the gas brings the sound back. This soft ticking sound seems to emanate in the transmission or differential.

they don't have any hydraulic lifters.

 

thats why the all tick until warm.

 

if it doesn't go away after its warmed up it's obviously something else

If this a turbo engine then it might be your wastegate opening under boost.

Hmm I was thinking piston slap if the engine was still cold, but if it still does it when warm it must be something else. Might be the timing belt tensioner that has caused some ticking before in some cases. Then again it could just be the normal boxer engine sound, these engines make alot of injector and other noises. I would pose this question to the subaruoutback.org forum

bad gas?

 

 

pinging?

bad gas?

 

 

pinging?

 

I agree, if it's a tinkling sound it could be pre-ingnition due to poor fuel or tune.

Pinging if its under load. Is this car suppose to use premium?

Exhaust leak?

I second the leak theory. Ihave a similar problem. Seems to only occur under load. I suspect its the Downpipe to midpipe gasket leaking.

I 2nd the "it's what makes a subaru, a subaru theory".

 

Because of the layout of the engine, the engine sounds are bouncing off the inner fenders. Because there's less "stuff" and sound dampening between this layout and a typical inline layout, it's inherently louder in the cabin.

 

My engine also has a "tick" when accelerating. It's really quiet, and you have to listen for it. I have the stock exhaust, and it's done it since I bought the car. I do not believe it's a leak, I KNOW it's not the wastegate, that's a different sound (and was there a turbo '03 outback anywhere?)

 

Engines under load have slightly different sounds then engines in neutral. I'm not entirely sure how this relates to the "tick" but I'm sure it does somehow.

03 outback doesn't have a turbo

My bad on the wastegate, my brain missed the '03.

It's the timebomb!!! GET OUT!!!!

The engine is knocking. open the door and let it in.

The engine is knocking. open the door and let it in.

 

my car ticks a lot recently. and its all load dependent, put the clutch in the rpm's drop below 800rpm's and it doesnt do it. put it in gear or put it in neutral and rev the engine and u can hear it ticking. It sounds like its coming from near the intake, in that plastic thingy (i have no idea what it is). Sometimes it goes away when the engine is completely warmed up, sometimes it doesn't hope engine isnt knocking or piston slap, is there telltale way to diagnose this problem. No loss in performance from what i can tell with this weird sound

Hi All,

 

Seems like this ticking sound I've been hearing is merely the engine warming up. When I go for a drive on the highway for :20 min. or so, it goes away. This phenomenon seems to be the nature of these flat fours.

 

-CJ

yes, its normal.

I dont know if this is related, but when I am going up a steep hill and turning all the way to the right there is a nice little ticking/grinding noise. It almost sounded like the axle was not seated correctly, but no loss of power. I also noticed it this morning driving. Mine seems to be in lower RPM's though.

 

Chris